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St. Clair County Prosecutors Decline Charges In July 13 Fatal Shooting

2 months ago
BELLEVILLE — The St. Clair County State's Attorney's Office has declined to file charges in a fatal shooting that occurred early Sunday morning, July 13, 2025, on North 40th Street. The St. Clair County Coroner's Office has identified the man who died of a gunshot as 50-year-old Monzelle Mason. At approximately 1 a.m. on July 13, 2025, officers responded to a report of a gunshot victim in the 500 block of North 40th Street. Upon arrival, they found an unresponsive adult male with multiple gunshot wounds. Despite life-saving efforts by officers and EMS personnel, the man was pronounced dead at the scene. According to the police investigation, Mason allegedly produced a firearm and threatened a 25-year-old woman who was inside a vehicle. The woman, who was also armed, discharged her firearm, striking Mason. Belleville detectives and the Crime Scene Unit conducted interviews and collected evidence. No additional suspects are being sought, and Belleville Police said the

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Stillwater Senior Living Granite City Athlete Of Mo.: Alex Suhre Is Key Swimmer For Paddlers Swim Club

2 months ago
EDWARDSVILLE - Alex Suhre, as a swimmer for the Paddlers Swim Club in Granite City, has enjoyed an outstanding season for the Pirates as she competed in a dual meet for the club against Montclaire Swim Club in Edwardsville on July 10, 2025. Suhre competed in two individual events – the 100-yard freestyle and 100-yard breaststroke – as well as two relay races, and felt she performed well in all of her events, with the Southwestern Illinois Swimming Association championship meet set to take place July 20 at the Summers-Port Swim Club in Godfrey. The Pirates' Suhre won the 100-meter freestyle in a time of 1:04.87 against Montclaire Swim Club. Alex is a Stillwater Senior Living Female Athlete of the Month for Granite City. During an interview conducted during a break in the action, Suhre expressed confidence that she had swum well in her events to that point. “Yes, I am looking forward to the SWISA Championships,” Suhre said. “It sounds fun and I think

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Stillwater Senior Living Granite City Male Athlete Of Mo.: Paddlers' Beau Roberts Shines In Relays

2 months ago
EDWARDSVILLE - Beau Roberts, a 15-year-old swimmer for the Paddlers Swim Club in Granite City, enjoyed an excellent dual meet for the Pirates against Montclaire Swim Club in Edwardsville on July 10, 2025, and seems to peaking at the right time for the Southwestern Illinois Swimming Association championship meet, to be held July 20, 2025, at Summers-Port Swim Club in Godfrey. Roberts is a relay specialist who swims anchors in the freestyle legs of the medley relays for the Pirates, as well as in the freestyle relays, and usually does better in the relay races than in individual races. During an interview held during a break in the meet, he felt he was swimming well. Beau is a Stillwater Senior Living Male Athlete of the Month for Granite City. Roberts, as mentioned, is a relay specialist who swims the anchor legs of the medley relay races, as well as swims in the freestyle relays. “I do well at those relays,” Roberts said. “I do better in the relay than I

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U.S. Rep. Budzinski Announces Education Funding for Metro East Schools, Urges Immediate Release of Remaining Funds

2 months ago
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) spoke with KMOV about the status of education funding for Metro East schools. On May 30, Budzinski headlined a town hall at East St. Louis High School to call out the Trump Administration for withholding $19 million in funds for critical air conditioning and heating upgrades for the school district. While the funds were encouragingly released on July 8, the Administration continues to withhold $218 million in Congressionally approved education funds from Illinois. “This was actually scrutinized, reviewed, and approved. It is now, then, not up to another branch of government to decide whether or not to cut the check. “What we don’t need are further dramatic cuts in the public education system. We need to make sure that we are fulfilling our commitments to our children.” In addition to the HVAC funding, last week Budzinski sent a letter alongside 150 House Democrats to Education

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Flock Safety’s Feature Updates Cannot Make Automated License Plate Readers Safe

2 months ago
Two recent statements from the surveillance company—one addressing Illinois privacy violations and another defending the company’s national surveillance network—reveal a troubling pattern: when confronted by evidence of widespread abuse, Flock Safety has blamed users, downplayed harms, and doubled down on the very systems that enabled the violations in the first place. Flock’s aggressive public relations campaign to salvage […]
Mike Masnick

Edwardsville Aldermen Considering New Poag Road Shared Use Path Agreement

2 months ago
EDWARDSVILLE – A nearly $150,000 agreement for a new shared use path and median along a section of New Poag Road in Edwardsville faces City Council approval on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. Aldermen are set to consider a professional services agreement for the New Poag Road median and shared use path in the amount of $149,695. According to Tuesday’s meeting documents, the agreement includes “plans and specifications rendered for the construction of a shared use path along New Poag Road from Ammann Place to the MCT Goshen Trail.” The project will also include “a median on New Poag Road.” “Improvements will generally consist of grading, trail construction, curb and gutter replacement, raised median construction, pavement marking, signage, sidewalk installation, and modular retaining block wall as needed,” according to the agreement. “The raised median will include a city welcome sign with a design provided by the City and an irrigation

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Troy Hosts National Night Out On August 5, 2025, At Tri-Township Park

2 months ago
TROY — Get ready for a fun-filled evening as the Troy/Maryville/St. Jacob/Marine Chamber of Commerce hosts National Night Out on Tuesday, August 5, at Tri-Township Park. The event will run from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Pavilion #10 (410 Wickliffe, north of the football fields). “We are very excited to bring National Night Out to our community,” said Dawn Mushill, President/CEO of the Chamber. “This event offers something for everyone and is a wonderful opportunity to bring neighbors, families, and law enforcement together in a positive and fun setting.” The evening’s Touch-a-Truck lineup will feature an impressive collection of vehicles, including a K-9 police car, fire truck, ambulance, racecar, street sweeper, large wrecker, and even a live AirMed helicopter landing. Families can also take advantage of the Illinois Family Identification Program, which will be on-site to provide parents with important child ID kits. Kids’ activities will include

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Beginners Night

2 months ago

Looking to try out chess in a welcoming, judgment-free environment? Come to the Saint Louis Chess Club to learn and play with other beginners! Led by our friendly and experienced […]

The post Beginners Night appeared first on Explore St. Louis.

Myranda Levins

Missouri governor signs bill to study hyperbaric oxygen therapy for veterans

2 months ago
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed a bill Monday that would establish a fund to pay for hyperbaric oxygen therapy for veterans with a traumatic brain injury and facing post-traumatic stress disorder to help prevent suicide and opioid addiction. This spring, the legislation received overwhelming support from state lawmakers, passing with a 33-0 vote in the […]
Rebecca Rivas

Duckworth, Booker, SFRC Colleagues Demand Answers Regarding State Department Layoffs

2 months ago
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and their fellow members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) in writing a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing deep concerns with imminent Reductions in Force (RIFs) at the State Department and requested answers on the Trump Administration’s process for carrying out these layoffs. The Senators wrote: “RIFs should remain a tool of last resort, and if implemented must be conducted according to long-standing procedures that prioritize transparency and a merit-based process for both career civil service employees and Foreign Service Officers (FSOs). During a time of increasingly complex and wide-spread challenges to U.S. national security, this administration should be strengthening our diplomatic corps—an irreplaceable instrument of U.S. power and leadership—not weakening it. However, RIFs would severely undermine the Department’s

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Bill overturning protections for Section 8 renters signed by Missouri governor

2 months ago
Local laws prohibiting landlords from discriminating against tenants who receive public assistance are unenforceable under legislation signed Monday by Gov. Mike Kehoe.  The legislation takes aim at ordinances passed in several Missouri cities to protect tenants from discrimination based on the source of their income — especially tenants who use federal housing choice vouchers, known […]
Clara Bates

Changes to Missouri Sunshine Law could be barriers to records, advocates say

2 months ago
A Missouri bill closing records with personal information about young people and state court personnel includes provisions that could help governments hide records intended to be public, open government advocates said Monday. Gov. Mike Kehoe signed the bill Monday, along with 11 other measures, as he finished work on legislation passed this year by state […]
Rudi Keller

Gov. Pritzker Announces Two Appointments to Boards and Commissions

2 months ago
SPRINGFIELD - Building on a strong team of diverse experts in their fields, Governor JB Pritzker announced the following appointments in his administration: Illinois Department of Human Services Christopher Thor Martin will serve as Inspector General at the Illinois Department of Human Services.* Martin has over 20 years of experience as a Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney, leading the State’s Attorney’s Office’s efforts to modernize internal technologies and use technological evidence in trials. In 2022, he became Deputy Bureau Chief of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Bureau, in charge of prosecuting gang crimes, narcotics, white collar crime, and gun violence, and he was later promoted to Chief Deputy. In 2025, Martin joined the Office of Inspector General of Illinois Department of Human Services as its Deputy Inspector General. Martin also serves on two professional advisory boards, including the

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